Either will perform equally well.

You can use the ATV with the BeoLab 5s. A simple optical > coaxial digital converter will do the trick. They're cheap and don't degrade the sound in any way as the output is identical to the input.

You will need to sync the BeoLab 5s together using the sync cable available from B&O. The BeoLab 5s should be in option 1. You'll switch them on using the RADIO button on a Beo 4 and the volume control on your Beo 4 would address the BeoLab 5s directly.

Importantly however, I would only do this if you're storing your music in Lossless format. Any sort of lossy format (MP3, AAC etc...) would make this whole thing completely pointless.

I think there is a significant difference between both. The mini mac I would prefer in situations where you use it to house your main library. Yes there are tools that you can use to sync libraries across multiple computers buts that is an additional step. You will also need a keyboard every now and then, i.e. I used my Imac keyboard less and every now and then it would for example not lnk itself automatically into my WIFO network or some pop up message, i.e. a "software update pop up" would require action

The ATV syncs itself automatically with Itunes, it is designed to be keyboard less but from a user interface prospective, it is more designed to be a shopping front end for Itunes rather then something to manage your own content. That is my biggest gripe with it, even though I like a lot that Apple gets some heat now with third party aps like booxee.tv.

Both require a screen, however can be controlled from the Iphone or Ipod touch. If you have a B&O TV, Beo4 works too in many cases. If not, for the mini mac you can get IRED/IRTRANS to pick up Beo4 commands which might be interesting as well.

 If you ask me, to the point where I installed boxee I wasnt using my ATV at all. Now I use it to watch internet TV and movies from my NAS. For music I still use it every now and then, but generally prefer CD as I didnt rip my collection lossless or even close to that.

If you use an Ipod as well, it might make sense to use a mini mac and maintain a separate library with the lossless  music, something I would not use on an IPOD or Iphone due to the size of the songs.

Lots to think about. 

Cheers

JK 

I think bayerische was referring more to any performance differences between the two of which there will be none when using the digital output. Your post seems perfectly correct though so may also be a deciding factor!

Yes you are right Alex.

Lossless would be the way to go, but is it possible to buy lossless audio from iTunes store? The iTunes "Plus" isn't lossless, right?

I think I would go with a Mac mini, since it's a bit more versatile. I do have an iPhone, so I would use it as a remote. 

The Apple TV outputs at 20-bit, while the Mac mini will output at the resolution of the connected soundcard. The in-built one delivers 24-bit. 

You can buy lossless (CD-resolution) or higher over the internet, from a growing number of suppliers.

I have both the mini and the ATV - like the latter for going to the thousands of free video and audio podcasts on the net, as well as YouTube, and buying content from Apple. Brilliant. Saw Appalloosa in HD this weekend, excellent quality and instantly downloaded.

Am also using Boxee, for comparison purposes.There are many such media-aggregator solutions out there now, and they all show to the sheer impossibility of B&O managing to keep up with what such fast-moving small companies deliver via software. Boxee is very buggy so far, but they are honest about it, as the version available is a beta.

If I had to choose between ATV and mini, I would go for the latter. It is a computer, it lets you surf the web, it will handle any resolution, it will handle all your content libraries, and with front-ends such as Boxee, you can make it aggregate from the net, depending upon what you have available where you live. My mini does excellent music playback, and I also use it to rip cd's/music dvd's to my server. Very happy with it - bought one of the Logitech diNovo bluetooth keyboards to operate it.

ATV doesn't let you browse, and while there is some freedom to what you can access through podcasts, etc, it is a shop front-end for iTunes, but it's great. The combination of ATV and mini has my broadcast/cable viewing down to about 5% of my total.

Here's an article about Boxee: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/17/technology/internet/17video.html

Thanks,

So the mac mini will be a little better, since it can output 24 bits VS apple tv's 20bits?

What about the different optical to coaxial konverters? What kind can you recommend? They seem to be pretty cheap. 

The sample rate output on the ATV is also locked, while the Mac mini will do whatever the associated soundcard is capable of.

If you're using the internal soundcard, then you get 24-bit/192kHz with ease.

If you use a stand-alone soundcard, you can get even higher rates, both for wordlength and sample rate. You might want to consider a sound card that accepts optical s/pdif and outputs to various formats, including coaxial, rather than just a simple converter. That way you would get better control.

But as Alex says, in theory you should get a bit-perfect translation from optical to coaxial with an inexpensive converter, and you should then be able to have the sophisticated circuits in the BeoLab 5 process the digital signal properly, retiming it, etc.

I'm sending my optical signal to a Cambridge Azur 840C, which then does the conversion to coax. I'll refrain from recommending any optical/coaxial stand-alone converters, as I haven't tried any. I know several members here use them to send a signal to their BV7s, etc. But haven't tried piping one direct to my BL5s.